Dear Prime Minister,

I do not know if you are an animal lover or not, but you cannot be an animal-hater. I am writing to you to stop a practice that has been in vogue in the Indian Army.

Indian Army deploys dogs of various species like Labrador, German shepherd, Belgian shepherds, etc. to hound criminals or sniff bombs. They are highly decorated and trained as any commando in the armed forces.

However, it has been officially confirmed, Indian Army euthanizes its dogs and horses on retirement, or at any point when they are judged to be unfit for service beyond a month.

"Army horses and dogs are evaluated for their fitness with respect to the performance of duties. The animals which are considered unfit for one month active service are disposed of by humane euthanasia," the army said in response to a right to information query.

To me, it has been the most shocking news. The government spends tens of hundreds of crores to maintain its retired personnel. Is it a burden on the government to maintain a few hundred or thousand animals, after they are out of service?

The reasons for this cruel act and inhuman act of Indian Army are said to be (i) it is expensive to maintain retired animals, and (ii) it is not safe to leave them to civilian hands, since they are familiar with sensitive locations while in service.

I do not understand the rationale behind both the purported grounds.  If these animals work hand-in-hand, men in uniform, risking their lives, don’t they have the right for some mercy from the men, who used them?

I have two suggestions to you to stop this cold-hearted practice forthwith:

1.  Offer these animals for adoption to animal lovers; I do not buy the argument that these animals could be used against national interest after ‘retirement’. On the same argument, even retired army personnel, who are privy to military secrets, could act against the interest of the nation.

2.  Army set up one or more voluntary organisation(s) to take care of these ‘retired’ animals, whose services are utilised for purposes of national security.

But for god’s sake, please order immediate stoppage of the practice of putting unserviceable animals to euthanasia.

Thank you,

 

Yours truly

 

 

N.B. Nair

Executive Editor

Indian Science Journal, New Delhi

91 9899710960 | 91 9868102057

nbnair@indiansciencejournal.com